Spiritual Gifts
Definition
The gift of the Holy Spirit has always been God’s means of regenerating his people to new life and empowering spiritual leaders, but since the miracle of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has been given to all believers to enable them to carry out the wide variety ministries God calls them to, to enable supernatural signs and gifts, and to guide Christians in their gospel proclamation.
Summary
The Holy Spirit is not just given in the NT; he was operative throughout the whole of the OT: the Spirit is the creative power of God, was responsible for empowering civil and military leaders in the nation of Israel, and anointed the kings of Israel to enable them to fulfill their calling. Since the miracle of Pentecost, which was the fulfillment of OT prophecy, the Christian church has received the Spirit in a democratized fashion. Now, all Christians receive the gift of the Spirit to enable them to carry out the wide variety ministries God calls them to. The Spirit also enables supernatural gifts and signs to operate, such as prophecy and speaking in tongues. The Spirit guides Christians in their faith and is the seal upon them that they will ultimately inherit all the blessings of Christ. And above all else, the Spirit is given to shine a light upon Jesus and direct the focus of our heart’s confidence and adoration on him alone.
Courses
Podcasts
Videos
Michael Horton on the Purpose of Spiritual Gifts
In this video, Michael Horton shows that when we understand the gifts and their purpose, we can more easily understand how God has uniquely gifted us.
3 Criteria for Choosing a Local Church
J.D. Greear—pastor of The Summit Church and current SBC president—helps Christians understand what they should be looking for in a local church.
Articles
How (Not) to Discover Your Spiritual Gifts
Want to know your spiritual gifts? Better than taking a test is investing in your church.
A Debate Between Andrew Wilson and Tom Schreiner on Spiritual Gifts
Are disciples today intended to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy?
Can Any Christian Learn How to Do Miracles?
Can Christians study to learn how to perform miracles, like Harry Potter might learn how to do magic at Hogwarts?
The Gift of Tongues in Corinth—and Today
Speaking in tongues potentially includes three subcategories.
‘She Has a Spirit of ______.’ But Are Such Phrases Biblical?
When it comes to these popular phrases, there’s a spirit of confusion afoot.
What It Means to Be Eucharismatic
There are over 200,000 words in the English language, but I want to introduce one more.
